Why it works: Flour and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Fry Jacks
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the dough
Sift flour in mixing bowl.
Add baking powder and salt.
Cut shortening into flour.
Add water to make a soft but not sticky dough.
Knead lightly on floured board.
Cut into rounds.
Let rest for 30 minutes or more.
Fry and serve
Flatten and cut each round in 4-6 pieces.
Heat frying pan. Add fat.
Fry on each side until golden brown.
Serve hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the dough its structure.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the dough, helping the fry jacks rise and puff.
- Shortening
- Coats flour particles, tenderising the dough and adding richness.
- Water
- Hydrates the flour so gluten forms and the dough holds together.
The step that matters
Let the dough rest. Resting for at least 30 minutes lets gluten relax, so the rounds roll and stretch without shrinking and fry up tender rather than tough.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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